At the End of a Hard Year, Students Discuss the Challenges of Remote Learning
Words by Edwinn Pineda
Cover Photo by Matilda Wormwood from Pexels
Pravita Sunar, 20, a junior at The City College of New York (CCNY), felt unhappy when she first learned that campus would be shut down last semester. “I was a little sad when I heard that it’s going to be closed permanently,” Sunar said. “It felt like we were going to be cooped up inside and going to lose our college experience in learning and being around people.”
Once the pandemic hit last spring, CUNY stopped nearly all in-person classes. Because the COVID-19 pandemic continues to soar, CCNY and all of the colleges in the CUNY system remain largely closed—with no immediate end in sight. Even as multiple promising vaccines begin to roll out, New York City has recorded 20,000 cases in the last week and 188 deaths, statistics that represent an uptick in COVID-19’s havoc on the city, and subsequently will be the reason classes will remain virtual this upcoming semester.
With students in adjusting to remote learning, many worry that they’re not getting the same college experience. “In terms of safety, obviously it was for the best that we had to close down,” Sunar explained. “It feels like we are losing a year out of our whole learning experience where we are supposed to be growing our college career. We are missing out on things like networking.”
Margarita Velazquez, 26, a student from Suffolk County Community College, also had a rough time with online classes, but saw the advantages of it. “I hated it at first but now love it,” Velazquez said. “The professors are a lot easier on us. It’s an open book test. I wake up five minutes before my class. I save gas and money in it.”
Still, staying on track can be a problem for some. “I do have distractions,” Sunar said. “It’s harder to stay focused when you’re home because you’re around your family. It’s easier to not do work if you see that they’re around, harder to keep up with assignments.”
As the current situation continues, students have wondered what the future will look like after they graduate. Lupita Jimenez, 20, a junior at City College, keeps her head up high for the future when it comes to finding a job. “I think it depends on the amount of hard work I put now,” she said. “If I get an internship and fill my resume with other accomplishments then no, I don’t think it will be hard for me.”
Like Jimenez, Velazquez has her mind set on what she’ll be doing post-COVID, she states, “My major is business administration. I plan to have my laser hair removal license and to finance my own business.”
Until things get better, classes will remain virtual. It shouldn’t stop students from trying to make the most out of it though. Sunar states, “I am hopeful for the vaccine and the possibilities of going back to in person school in the next fall semester.”
